…highlight a whole book and still say you “took notes.”
HIGHLIGHT A WHOLE BOOK AND STILL SAY YOU “TOOK NOTES.”
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We’ve all been there, staring down a syllabus that looks less like a reading list and more like a challenge to human endurance. Page after page, chapter after chapter, the sheer volume of information demanded of us was immense. You’d open a textbook, determined to extract the core wisdom, to distill it into concise, brilliant notes.
Then reality set in. Every paragraph felt crucial. Every sentence, a potential exam question. Soon, your highlighter wasn’t just picking out key phrases; it was painting entire sections in neon. Yellow became the new white. You’d finish a 300-page book, every single page practically glowing, and then confidently declare, "Yeah, I took notes on that." It wasn't about missing the point; it was about the overwhelming abundance of all the points.
This wasn't procrastination or a lack of understanding. It was a coping mechanism, a testament to the intellectual intensity that defines our institutions. It was the silent, shared nod among peers that said, "We're all in this information overload together." It was proof that you genuinely grappled with the material, even if your 'notes' looked more like a psychedelic art project. It’s a badge of honor, isn't it? A uniquely 'us' way of navigating academic rigor. If you didn't highlight a whole book and call it 'notes,' did you truly experience it?